


Smile For The Cameras

by StarofAntiquan



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-20
Updated: 2015-08-20
Packaged: 2018-04-16 08:35:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4618713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarofAntiquan/pseuds/StarofAntiquan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the media mistakenly reports that Steve and Bucky are an item, they manage to convince themselves that there's nothing to be done but to go along with it. For the sake of justice, of course.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Smile For The Cameras

**Author's Note:**

> For Talia - happy birthday!!!

The moment Steve woke up, he was hit by an odd premonition that today would be a somewhat vexing and definitely surreal kind of day.

Three seconds later, Steve opened his eyes, and was greeted by the sight of what appeared to be a giant cloud of confetti and glitter wafting lazily around his room. A banner that read “CONGRATULATIONS” was hanging from one wall, and another banner reading “SORRY” was hanging from the wall opposite. Clearly, his premonition had been correct.

He found Natasha leaning against the wall when he emerged from his room, but she just gave him a faux-sweet smile and told him, “It’s Tony’s fault, if you hadn’t figured that out already,” before disappearing down the corridor. Well. That was no help at all.

First things first: coffee. Steve headed to the kitchen for his morning brew, but froze in the middle of the doorway when he saw his own face on the enormous TV screen in the corner, from which the news reporter was busy announcing, “the shocking news that Captain Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America, and Sergeant James Barnes, also known as the Winter Soldier, both prominent members of the Avengers program, have allegedly been romantically involved for several months and may in fact be married–”

“What the fuck?” Steve asked the empty room, not really expecting a response, but then Sam’s head popped over the back of the couch.

“Oh Cap, better not let anyone else hear you swearing like that,” Sam told him with a grin, perpetually amused that somehow, no one else was ever around to hear their Captain swearing like a trucker (which happened far more often than anyone else would ever believe).

“Sam, seriously, what the fuck?” Steve repeated, gesturing weakly at the screen. “We’ve never, how- oh. What did Tony do?”

Sam shrugged. “Told someone that you and Barnes are as good as married, some reporter heard him, the press blew it out of proportion. Alcohol may or may not have been involved, but for once it’s nothing you can’t fix with a simple press release. Doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the look on your face though.”

“So you’re saying we should just tell them it’s all lies?” Steve asked, even as the words felt sour on his tongue, because even if none of it was true, he’d still always held on to that little spark of hope that maybe, someday–

“No.”

Sam and Steve both startled, and turned to face Bucky, who was sitting unobtrusively at the kitchen table with a laptop, looking for all the world as if he’d been there the whole time. And who knows, maybe he had been – even Natasha couldn’t always keep track of Bucky’s movements.

“I’ve been looking through some of the reactions online,” Bucky continued, as though he hadn’t just almost given two of his teammates heart attacks, “and so much of it is positive, Steve. There’s so much support, and so many kids saying that we’ve given them hope, we can’t just take that away from them! Plus, it’ll piss off all the prejudiced assholes who’ve tried to use you as a symbol in their campaigns, so we should just go with it.” Bucky paused for a second, looking contemplative, then continued, “We should probably admit we’re not married though. There’s no wedding record to back it up, so that’ll just arouse suspicion.”

Steve couldn’t help staring for a moment. “So you’re saying we should start a fake relationship? For the sake of justice?”

Bucky nodded. “Well, apparently you’re the living embodiment of justice these days, so it seems appropriate.”

“Man, you can’t argue with that,” Sam put in with a grin.

\---

After nearly a month of telling a constant stream of reporters that no, he was not gay, he was bisexual, would they please all stop getting this wrong (because Steve was determined to be honest on that front, at least), the media buzz finally seemed to calm down a bit, but Steve knew with a grim resignation that it was all about to ramp back up again after tonight. Tonight, after all, was the first time he and Bucky would be making an official public appearance as a “couple”.

The word felt heavy in his mouth and his mind. Even as part of Steve knew that he should be grateful to be getting a taste of everything he’d ever wanted, the dishonest nature of it all made him feel sick to his stomach, and another quieter, traitorous part of his mind whispered that it could never be enough. Every touch (Bucky squeezing his hand as they prepared to get out of the limousine, the brush of a hand over his shoulder, an arm slipping around his waist, even the heat of Bucky’s presence at his back) was too much and yet not enough, nowhere near enough, because none of it was real, and Steve’s heart ached with it.

His smile never faltered as he and Bucky made their way around the room, greeting those they knew and some they didn’t, but Bucky clearly sensed his discontent nonetheless, drawing him into an empty corner at the first opportunity.

“What is your problem, pal?” Bucky demanded, sounding almost… hurt? Steve brushed that thought aside, and straightened his shoulders, trying to seem nonchalant.

“Nothing’s wrong, Buck,” he replied, but from the way Bucky’s eyes were narrowing, he clearly didn’t buy it.

“I thought you were okay with this,” Bucky hissed under his breath, trying not to draw any attention from the other guests. “We agreed, it’s for the greater good! Think of the greater good, Steve!”

“I know,” Steve whispered back, “I just don’t like the deception.”

Bucky’s face fell noticeably at that, but while Steve was racking his brains trying to figure out what went wrong, a camera flashed.

“Trouble in paradise, guys?” asked a particularly young reporter, who _definitely_ shouldn’t have been able to sneak into such a private, invitation-only event.

“Not at all!” Steve yelped, at the exact same moment that Bucky growled out a simpler but much more menacing, “No,” and the reporter’s smile just grew.

“Oh, sweetie, it’s okay,” she said, giving Steve a flirtatious wink. Bucky twitched. “Every relationship has its rocky patches! Do you want to talk about it?”

“No, no,” Steve stammered, “we’re not-” and then, without really knowing what he was doing, he was reaching towards Bucky, who was rolling his eyes and reaching back, and for years afterwards they could never agree on who kissed whom, but suddenly their mouths met and oh, Bucky’s lips really were incredibly soft, and one of his hands was in Steve’s hair, and his tongue was doing something sinful that was making Steve rather weak in the knees and–

They broke apart, both gasping, staring at each other, and Steve was sure that Bucky would be able to _see_ the hearts in his eyes – although, come to think of it, Bucky was looking back at him with something akin to wonder in his own expression, and – oh.

“You’d think that after a month of dating, you boys would have been able to figure that out by yourselves,” came a smug voice from beside them, where Natasha was standing in the exact spot that the reporter had been in a moment ago, pulling off one of her facial hologram masks. “I think you two owe me a thank you – I accept spa gift cards, by the way.” And with a parting smirk, she vanished into the crowd.

Steve turned back to Bucky, not really sure what to say. But from the way Bucky was looking at him, like he wanted to devour him whole, that maybe wouldn’t be a problem.

\---

Later that night – much, _much_ , later – Steve found himself musing aloud, “So Buck… how do you feel about fake marriages?”

He got a pillow in the face and a muffled, “Ask me again when you’ve got a ring for me,” in response.

Steve couldn't help smiling into his new pillow; after all, he intended to do just that.


End file.
